Ashley Joens, Madi Williams on Cheryl Miller Award Top 10 List

Posted on February 2, 2023

Iowa State women's basketball player Ashley Joens

Iowa State’s Ashley Joens and Oklahoma’s Madi Williams are part of the 2023 Cheryl Miller Award top 10 list, the award given to the nation’s best small forward.

Joens has won the last two awards. Both she and Williams were on the initial watch list.

Three other Big 12 players were on the initial watch list but were not included on the Top 10 list — Baylor’s Aijya Blackwell, Oklahoma’s Madi Williams, Oklahoma State’s Lior Garzon, and Texas’ Shay Holle.

The final finalists will be named in March.

Joens is is the only Big 12 Conference player on the John R. Wooden Women’s Late Season Top 20 watch list, released on Monday.

Joens is already the all-time leading scorer and rebounder in the history of the program. She is also the reigning Big 12 Player of the Week after leading the Cyclones to a 2-0 week.

Joens is averaging 20.2 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game.

Williams is in her super-senior season, like Joens. Williams is a returning All-Big 12 First-Team performer who has helped Oklahoma earn a Top 25 ranking this season. She leads the Sooners with 16.8 points per game and is second on the team with 6.3 rebounds per game.

The award is named for Miller, the three-time Naismith Player of the Year and Class of 1995 Hall of Famer. The annual award in its sixth year recognizes the top small forwards in women’s NCAA Division I college basketball.